


Tastes So Sweet

by novocaine_sea



Series: All the World's a Stage [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Bakery, Love at First Sight, M/M, Pining, Rock Stars, Semi is so in love it's disgusting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-04-21 16:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14289063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novocaine_sea/pseuds/novocaine_sea
Summary: Semi has everything he could ever want. He's the lead singer of a famous band, he gets to travel the country and maybe even the world, and he gets to do so with his best friends. But there is something missing, something that Semi wants but cannot seem to find.Until one night after the show he stumbles upon a bakery that is only open after midnight.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So if you've been subscribed to me for a while, this fic may look a little familiar to you! I've designed to revamp it and make it something new entirely. This fic will be a part of a series with four other ships: KuroKen, BokuAka, IwaOi, and MiyaTeru. This installment will only be 3 chapters, or maybe 4!  
> I hope you all enjoy, welcome to this world!!  
> Updates on Wednesdays!!

The lights overhead beat down on them, hotter than the sun. The venue was cramped but it was worth it, hearing the crowd sing back to them and along with him. He could feel the drops of sweat drip down the column of his neck as his fingers thumped over the frets and strings of his guitar, his voice raw from singing so loudly into the microphone. It was worth it, it always was, to see the anonymous faces in the crowd smiling, crying, singing loudly to the songs they wrote and played. It was so surreal still, even though they had been discovered four years ago and had built an empire on top of their success.

Semi Eita had discovered music when he was in his second year of high school. He picked up a guitar and never looked back, adding his voice over it soon after. It was at that time he stopped playing volleyball and really focused on making a career out of his music. His teammates understood completely; Semi knew that Shirabu would have taken his spot anyway and to rid himself of the frustration he quit the team before he wasn’t needed anymore. He put his blood, sweat and tears into practicing until he went to college in Osaka. There he met Kuroo Tetsurou and Iwaizumi Hajime in his first year. Kuroo had been a business major, studying marketing while Iwaizumi went into sports medicine, both working their asses off to get plausible grades. Semi majored in musical engineering, wanting to know the mechanics behind everything that he had come to love. As he got to know them better, he learned that Kuroo was killer on the drums and Iwaizumi could shred the guitar better than Semi could ever dream. 

So, naturally, they formed a band.

The band was unofficial; they just jammed in Semi’s dorm room whenever his roommate was out. (His roommate was some quiet, studious guy from the Miyagi region where Semi was from. Semi didn't recognize him though). Sometimes they went back to Iwaizumi’s dorm because his roommate was interested in their music but didn't play any instruments himself. His name was Azumane Asahi; Asahi would soon become their manager once they all realized how serious they were about this. Asahi wasn't assertive in the slightest but he was damn good at his job, always making sure they had the best gigs and that none of the venues treated them poorly. He was good at negotiating, mostly because he was intimidating but extremely gentle.

They made do with what they had, a drummer, a singer and a guitarist, until their second year of college. Then they found their missing pieces.

They found their bassist one afternoon when Kuroo was walking down the hall of his dorm, whistling lyrics of a song Semi had just written and sang for them. He was only a couple doors down from his own room when he heard the telltale sounds of a bass guitar coming from one of the rooms. And because Kuroo had no boundaries, he pounded on the door.

One Miya Atsumu opened the door, blonde fringe covering the right side of his face and a scowl on his lips. Once Kuroo had started praising his talent on the bass, however, Miya was all smiles and grins. Kuroo told him about the band and said he should swing by their practice one time, bring his bass even. Miya fit in swimmingly, even if Iwaizumi was skeptical of him at first. Miya reminded him a lot of a pain in the ass back home.

Iwaizumi had found their fifth and final member of their band by chance. He had been in a coffee shop late at night, one with a little stage for people to perform. Set up there that night was a guy with a keyboard, playing soft music that captured Iwaizumi’s attention. Iwaizumi was mesmerized by the way he played and stayed until after the set to talk to him. Being the gentleman he was, Iwaizumi helped him with packing up his equipment and introduced himself. He praised the keyboardist’s playing and Iwaizumi invited him to watch his band’s practice, and if he liked they would love to have him on board.

The keyboardist hadn’t actively been searching with people to play with but he was interested so he accepted the invitation.

They keyboardist’s name was Akaashi Keiji, a first year like Miya. After joining their practice and trying out a few of his original songs on keys, they all found it fit perfectly. Thus, the puzzle was complete and here they were, all of them twenty-five or twenty-six years old playing to a crowd of hundreds of people, most of whom were singing songs that they had written back in the early days from college and some newer stuff. They sang loudly with Semi and continued to sing when he stopped just so the band could hear them, hear what they created. What a magical feeling.

Semi sang the last lyric of their last song of the night, strumming along to the song on his guitar. Iwaizumi played the lead while he played rhythm so it was easy to play and sing at the same time. When the song was over the crowd screamed and cheered. Semi grinned into the microphone and said, “Thank you, we are October’s Enigma, have a lovely evening!” The crowd continued to roar when they walked off stage and they could still hear it echoing in their ears long after their set was over. Their hearts were full and their bodies drenched in sweat but feeling so light as they made it back to the room in the back of the venue that posed as a dressing room.

“I really need a beer.” Miya declared, heading straight for their mini fridge and opening it, pulling out a can of beer.

“We’ve literally been off stage for less than five minutes.” Kuroo pulled his shirt off and wringing it out right there on the floor. His shirt was soaked in sweat, almost as if he had been caught in a bad rainstorm/ Akaashi scrunched up his nose in disgust and watched him let the sweat out, making a puddle on the tiled floor. Akaashi had to turn away before he started gagging.

“That’s disgusting.” Iwaizumi huffed, taking the beer from Miya’s hands and taking a swig. Miya glared.

“Bro, what the fuck.” 

Semi sighed. “You’re an alcoholic you need to chill.”

Miya rolled his eyes. “I’m not an alcoholic. There’s no reason to be an asshole, either of you.” 

Semi sat down and looked over all his bandmates. They had all grown so much since they first started this thing. They got under each other’s skin often but that’s what best friends do. 

“What’s everybody’s plan for tonight?” Kuroo asked, stretching his long arms over his head. His muscles popped and his neck cracked when he moved it side to side. Sitting behind the drum kit for a little over an hour in almost the same position made the neck muscles stiff. His arms definitely got a workout though, muscles bulging as he stretched.

“Getting drunk and having sex, like usual.” Miya asked eagerly, flicking his sweat soaked fringe from his eyes. The rest of them groaned. They didn’t want to deal with Miya banging somebody on the tour bus, as he usually did. He was the only one that lived the stereotypical rockstar lifestyle. He loved to get fucked up and bring back a random guy or girl each night. Semi had no idea how he did it. Didn’t he get tired of banging different people every night? Semi wanted to settle down with somebody, give himself to one special person at a time and not waste it. He was envious of Kuroo and Akaashi who each had somebody significant back home, though the latter was looking more and more defeated about his relationship with each phone call from his boyfriend. Semi would only bring it up if Akaashi did, but knowing the younger man he wouldn’t say a word. Semi let him be. Iwaizumi was the only other single one in the band, but even that was iffy. It was no secret that Iwaizumi was in love with his best friend but it seemed as if the best friend was oblivious to it.

That was a situation that Semi didn’t want to find himself in. He usually stayed away from relationships but lately… he was really craving one.

They were all in need of shower, desperately. They all fought for it, except Miya who usually chose to shower before they were due on stage. All of them hated showering in the cramped stall on their bus but there was nothing much to be done about it. It was better than washing themselves in the bathroom of some fast food chain like they had when they first started this gig. 

They were able to get on the bus after their equipment had been packed up. They had a little bit of downtime before departure and Miya took the time to go out and find the night scene in whatever city they were in. Semi couldn’t remember. Iwaizumi went off in his bunk to pass out and Akaashi and Kuroo were both on the phone with their boyfriends in the front of the bus. As Semi climbed into his own bunk after showering (he had got it first) he could hear the enthusiastic musings coming from Kuroo and the uninterested hums from Akaashi. Semi wondered why he stayed with the guy if he was so miserable.

Semi laid back in his bunk and put his headphones, enjoying the serenity for a moment. He enjoy being alone, as alone as he could be sharing a bus with five other dudes. It let him have a chance to take everything in all by himself. He still could not believe that this was his life, that he was actually getting to tour the country with his best friends and have all kinds of people sing back words he wrote. It was surreal. He never imagined that playing in a dingy bar back in Osaka would lead him to meeting a huge music producer and recording an entire album in a month. His life was perfect and he wouldn’t change a thing.

Well.

There was something missing.

It’s funny, people who have everything they could ever hope for always want more than they’ve already got.

Semi just wanted that connection. He didn’t know where he could find it. He wasn’t Miya, he couldn’t go to some skeevy bar and pick up the first person who threw themselves at him. He wasn’t the type. He definitely wasn’t going to get with his best friend. As much as he loved Tendou, the guy was a mess and annoying. So that was out of the question. 

Semi wanted something quiet. Something sweet. Where was he to find that.

Somewhere in the bunks Iwaizumi groaned in dismay. It was so loud that Semi could hear it through his headphones. He assumed it was the best friend.

Kuroo called from the front of the bus: “You okay man?!”

Another groan. “Fucking Oikawa. Fuck his shitty face.”

Semi rolled his eyes. Iwaizumi was usually the good one but sometimes. Sometimes he could be a whiny little bitch. Ironic how that’s one of the many flaws his best friend allegedly had.

“If you love somebody you should just tell them~” Kuroo sang, voice growing closer. Semi paused his music and pushed the curtain of his bunk back.

Semi sighed and ran his fingers through his damp hair, “Leave him alone Kuroo.”

Kuroo stopped in front of his bunk and his stupid smirk came into view. Semi thought about jabbing him in the eye. “You upset with all the love talk, Semi?”

“Leave him alone.” Akaashi drawled from behind Kuroo, a smile in his voice. Akaashi was the mediator of the group, his bluntness coming in handy most of the time. Despite being the youngest, they all listened to him.

“Can you all shut the fuck up?” Iwaizumi drew his own curtains back, green eyes narrowing at all of them. Semi held his hands up because he did absolutely nothing. It was all Kuroo’s doing.

“This could be all yours...” Kuroo said, pulling out his phone. They all knew his background was a picture of him and his boyfriend, Kenma. He waved it in Iwaizumi’s face.

“No thanks, I’m not into blondes.”

Kuroo gasped, pressing a hand to his chest. “I will not stand for this blondephobia.”

“That’s not even a thing!” 

Semi wished he could block them out again but he couldn’t close the curtains without Kuroo just forcing them open again to get in his face. Semi wanted his peace and quiet back, even though he had only experienced it for about ten minutes.

Semi ignored them for the most part, as best he could. Akaashi disappeared, probably dipping into the shower before Kuroo could realize it was open. There was no chance Iwaizumi was going to get up and shower since he was already holed up in his bunk. Semi could hear the two of them arguing still, Kuroo trying to convince Iwaizumi to confess to his best friend. It was a conversation they had biweekly and Semi was sick of it.

He scrolled through their Twitter tag for about twenty minutes before stopping. He liked seeing all the photos and videos fans had taken during the concert that night or the night before. He also liked seeing the meet and greet photos, how happy the fans were when shaking their hands or hugging them, sometimes tears in their eyes. To think that Semi and his friends meant that much to a stranger was kind of overwhelming. But wasn’t that what a relationship technically was? Falling for a stranger and slowly growing to know and love them? Of course it’s mutual but…

Semi huffed and tossed the sheets off of him, climbing out of his bunk. He didn’t care if he was in sweats, he shrugged on his jacket and stalked off the bus. Akaashi watched him go from his perch on the couch but didn’t say anything. The cool air swarmed around him, chilling his nose. It was the weird in-between stage between winter and spring so the nights were cool whereas the days were warm. He wished he had grabbed his scarf on the way out but it was too late now. As he wandered, taking in the city around him, he was confused when he saw crowds of people exiting from a storefront down the street. His first thought was that it was a nightclub, but there wasn’t a rumble of music coming from behind the doors and nobody was stumbling out drunkenly.

As he drew closer and closer he could see that there were coffee cups in hand as well as pastry bags. This peaked his interest. Was there a coffee shop open? His mouth became alive at the thought of a nice cup of coffee at this hour. It was already past midnight and the coffee might make him jittery, but he didn’t care. 

Finally he stopped in front of a bakery called Late Nite Snack. He could see that the hours listed on the glass were strictly twelve AM to four AM, truly living up to its name. Semi thought it was strange that such a place would have such limited hours but the nightlife here must have been wild. Semi figured a university was probably close by and all the students would frequent it, especially during exam season. Raising an eyebrow, Semi walked in and was immediately hit with intoxicating smell of frosting and coffee. It smelled delicious.

Nobody bat an eye at him. Either they didn’t know he was a part of October’s Enigma or they just didn’t care about the new person in the store. It felt great to be anonymous, to get the private life he had missed back even if for a sliver of a moment. They weren’t at J-Pop levels of famous, but they were famous enough to be recognized off the street without a proper disguise. Semi hid his face in his phone as he stood in line, waiting for his turn at the register. He probably should have been looking at the menu to order when he got there but the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.

When he finally stepped up to order, Semi slipped his phone into his pocket and looked up, eyes landing on what was possibly the most attractive man he had ever seen. The man had silver hair and caramel colored eyes, a mole dotted right under his left eye. His smile was white and bright, flashing under the fluorescent lights of the bakery. His name tag read ‘SUGA’ and Semi had never seen a name so fitting of a person.

“Welcome to Late Nite Snack, your late night pastry fix! What can I get you?” Suga asked, the smile never leaving his face. Semi could see the burning recognition in his eyes and was thankful that the man hadn’t pointed out who he was.

“Um….” Semi’s eyes flicked up to the menu yet he was drawn back to the cashier. He had no idea what he wanted, not a clue.

Suga laughed softly and knocked his knuckles on the counter, “Alright, I know just what you need. Stay here.” Semi was dumbfounded as he watched Suga flit around behind the counter, saying something to the other worker before grabbing a pastry bag, dumping a scone and a chocolate donut inside. When he was finished, the other worker, whose name tag read ‘YAMAGUCHI’, had placed a steaming hot cup of coffee on the counter. Suga hummed and smiled as he turned back to Semi.

“For you.” He pushed the bag and the coffee back towards Semi,

Semi opened his mouth and pat himself down, frantically searching for his wallet. He needed to pay, why hadn’t he had his wallet out and ready before? Why weren’t words forming? He was standing there gaping like a fish in front of this attractive man, what the hell? 

“Don’t bother.” Suga waved his hand in front of him dismissively and Semi looked up confused, debit card halfway out of the slot in his wallet.

Suga just flashed him another smile, “It’s on the house for first time customers.”

“How do you know it’s my first time?” Semi blurted immediately and then felt his cheeks flush when he realized just how that sounded.

But Suga just kept grinning and grinning, “I think I would know if  _ you  _ came in to my shop, dontcha think?” He winked, “Have a nice night, and enjoy your pastries!”

“Oh, um, thank you.” Semi mumbled, cheeks still tinged pink. He hastily grabbed the bag and the coffee, still hot under the paper protection of the cup, and turned to leave. A couple of people gaped at him, realizing who he was now, but he ducked out as quickly as he could. 

He couldn’t believe he had embarrassed himself so badly. How was he supposed to find somebody when he couldn’t even talk to the cute cashier behind the counter? Semi was famous, he shouldn’t have any trouble talking to people. He talked to strangers all the time. Why, then, was his heart beating quickly and why was the short conversation repeating in his head like a catchy pop song? 

The walk to the bus felt shorter than it had walking to the bakery. He had been walking without a purpose at first though but now with a coffee and two pastries, it gave him a reason to be quick. He stepped onto the bus, finding the lights dimmed and nobody in the front. Miya must not have been back yet because all was quiet, Iwaizumi’s snores echoing from the back of the bus. Semi kicked his shoes off and sat on the couch, ripping open the bag. The sweet smell of baked goods wafted up his nose and he involuntarily licked his lips before diving in. He ate the scone first, lingering on the fact that the dough basically melted on his tongue. The coffee was the perfect mix of bitter and sweet and he was in heaven. The donut was delicious as well, and he wondered why he hadn’t discovered this place before, considering the city they were currently in was only one train stop away from his own once they were off tour. 

He finished the coffee and laid back against the cushions, contemplating the many different flavors that he just gifted his tongue. The pastries from the little night time bakery were quite possibly some of the best he’s ever had, if not  _ the  _ best. And he wanted more. But he was only in the city for another night and then he would be gone, no sense of when he would return.

Worst of all, Semi wasn’t even thinking of the pastries for long. The real thing that plagued his mind was the cute cashier and owner, that megawatt smile that left him at a loss for words.  _ Suga…  _ The name swam in his mind and Semi wasn’t able to rid thoughts of a perfect face either. Semi stumbled back to his bunk, crawling in. Akaashi moved above him but Semi was used to it by now. 

Semi laid there a few moments, just thinking about Suga and the pastries. He allowed himself to be lulled to sleep by his own lyrics and picturing a smile behind the usually anonymous focus of his music.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this from a public computer :)))) More Semi pining!!!

Semi woke up to the sound of Kuroo’s atrocious singing and he groaned, pressing his pillow to his face. The curtain separating his bunk from the aisle between the other bunks parted and Akaashi’s face swam into view as Semi peeled the pillow off his face.

“Please.” Akaashi didn’t have to say anything else; Semi knew what he was talking about. With another groan Semi flopped out of his bed, Akaashi stepping to the side in order to let him pass. Semi traveled through the bus to find Kuroo playing video games on his Switch and singing to himself as music blasted through his headphones. Semi recognized it as one of their songs, as if they didn’t play this song every night for thousands of people.

Semi was still holding his pillow and he ripped the headphones from Kuroo’s ears, slapping him in the face with the cotton when the cat-like man turned towards him with a grin.

“Oi, the fuck?!” Kuroo sputtered and dropped his Switch onto the couch.

“Do you know what time it is?” Semi narrowed his eyes.

Kuroo checked his phone. “Yeah, it’s eleven.”

_ Oh. _ It wasn’t even  _ early _ . Who let Semi sleep in this late? 

“You need to shut up.” Semi demanded. “Your singing is terrible. We tell you this every time. So shut. Up.”

Kuroo only shrugged and picked up the Switch, unpausing his game. “I’m coming for your gig, Semi~. Don’t test me!”

“No more singing!” Semi made his way back to his bunk, but didn’t crawl back in. Instead he grabbed his suitcase from underneath and stripped right there. It wasn’t anything they had all seen before. Semi was quite sure he had seen all of them naked, Miya more so than the others. Semi wasn’t fazed by it anymore and neither were his bandmates.

“Thank you.” Akaashi muttered as he passed him, climbing back up into his bunk. Semi nodded but Akaashi couldn’t see, his own shade closing violently as he laid down. Semi wondered what his deal was, but again, Semi didn’t ask. Akaashi didn’t like being pressed to explain his feelings and Semi could respect that. It wasn’t like he was an open book either.

Not like Kuroo, who cried at romance movies and whenever Kenma didn’t answer his texts in more than twenty-four hours, even though Kuroo knew that a new video game his boyfriend liked was released. Semi thought it was probably exhausting being that emotionally invested in everything. It made for great entertainment though and a hell of a lot of blackmail. 

Semi joined Kuroo and now Iwaizumi on the couch, all of them staring at some form of electronic screen. Iwaizumi had made coffee in their shitty keurig situated on the counter and Semi snagged some after Iwaizumi poured himself a cup. The three of them sat in silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s company. Usually Kuroo couldn’t keep his mouth shut for this long but he was completely immersed in the world in his hands. From the noises he was making, it was clearly exciting. 

“Where’d you go last night?” Iwaizumi asked, breaking the silence. He had directed it at Semi, who blinked at him for a moment.

“What?”

“You left last night right? For a little bit?”

Semi blinked again. Caramel eyes blossomed in his mind and a mole dotted right below his left eyes. Sweet laughter filled his ears as he recalled a slide of a coffee cup across the counter and a bag of pastries placed in front of him. Suga. Suga was his name. There had been somebody else behind the counter with him but Semi couldn’t even picture him. He remembered a flash of freckles, but that was it. Suga had captivated him with his ethereal smile.

“Ooo, hot date?” Kuroo snickered across from him and Semi wished he had his pillow weapon handy again. Sadly, it was sitting on his bed and away from Kuroo’s head.

“When has Semi ever been on a date in his life?” Iwaizumi scoffed. Semi was hurt; Iwaizumi wasn’t usually the one to drag him. Semi was sure that this was the first roast Iwaizumi had ever dished out that was not directed at Kuroo or his best friend, and he was offended. He sent Iwaizumi a glare and Iwaizumi only shrugged, sipping his coffee loudly.

“True.” Kuroo hummed, “For real though, where’d you go?”

Semi sighed. “Do you have to know?”

“Of course! Gotta make sure my Semi-Semi is safe!” Semi cringed at the nickname; it reminded him of Tendou and he made a mental note to never allow the two in the same room again. Even if it couldn’t be helped, he would find a way.

The doors to the bus opened and Asahi walked on, waving to them as he went straight for the coffee. Asahi slept with the crew on the other bus because he could not be bothered to sleep in the hazardous wasteland of the band’s bus. Semi didn’t blame him. He didn’t know when the last time they scrubbed the bus down was. Probably never.

“If you really need to know, I went to a bakery last night. Late Nite Snack.”

“Sounds tasty.” Kuroo grinned and Semi rolled his eyes.

“Ah, my boyfriend works there,” Asahi declared as he sat next to Kuroo, a considerable distance away. Kuroo was only in his underwear and there was no telling when the last time  _ those  _ had been washed. Semi was living with a bunch of animals for a majority of the year, not that he was much better.

Semi’s heart cracked slightly. First, he had no idea that Asahi had a boyfriend which was strange considering he spent a large amount of his time around the manager. Second, his boyfriend worked at the bakery. Semi couldn’t see Asahi dating somebody as meek as himself, in which Freckles was, the only other option was Suga. Suga, who was beautiful and bright and everything Semi wasn’t, at least when he wasn’t on stage. Semi had only had a three minute exchange with Suga at most but he had  _ felt something _ .

And even if he was never going to see Suga again after last night, Semi had felt something. A spark. A connection. There was a glimmer in Suga’s eye that Semi wanted to know more about. He wanted to know all about the gray-haired man behind the counter.

Now those dreams were shattered and Semi was back to square one, lonely with no prospects in sight.

“My man Asahi has a boyfriend?!” Kuroo exclaimed. Even Iwaizumi looked shocked.

Asahi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Yeah, we’ve been together for a few years now.”

“YEARS!?” Kuroo shouted, voice squeaking as he hit a high note. Semi cringed again. “We’ve been duped. Bamboozled.  _ Betrayed  _ by our fearless leader.”

“I’m not drunk enough for this.” Iwaizumi mumbled to Semi and Semi nodded in agreement. Kuroo needed somebody to balance his dramatic self out and unfortunately, none of them could be that other half. Semi had heard stories that Akaashi’s boyfriend, Bokuto, was the ying to Kuroo’s yang, but as Bokuto was not currently here, there was nothing that could be done. They all had to be subjected to Kuroo all the time.

“I prefer to keep my life private because I know you’ll do this.” Asahi huffed but a small smile was on his face. He must’ve been thinking about his boyfriend, about  _ Suga _ . Semi was more bitter than he should be. But he was heartbroken.

Kuroo scoffed. “I want to meet this boyfriend of yours. To make sure he’s real.”

“Why would I lie!”

“My man, I would not believe that you had a boyfriend with how  _ nervous  _ you get talking to venues on the phone. And you  _ offered  _ to do this shit for us.” Kuroo clapped him on the back. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“He’s coming to the show tonight with a couple of friends.”

Semi perked up from his mini slump. Suga was going to come to the show? Why was his heart racing?

Semi had always had the problem in getting attached too quickly. A smile in his direction and he was instantly crushing. A smile and a conversation, along with a few tasty treats? Semi was enamored, completely in love and not being able to get strangers out of his mind. It’s why he wasn’t in a relationship. He was always too attached, too clingy, too much. It was his biggest flaw.

“Still a little suspicious, but I guess we’ll see tonight, Azumane.” Kuroo nodded, content with himself and Asahi just shook his head.

“By the way, you guys have a press conference in an hour so you may want to get ready.” 

A moment of panic flashed on the three musicians’ faces and all three pairs of eyes met before they sprinted towards the back of the bus to try and squeeze into the bathroom first. Kuroo still needed to shower and get dressed, Iwaizumi and Semi needed to fix their bedhead, Miya needed to actually wake up, and Akaashi needed to care a little more about the band in general. Akaashi was so laid back about everything that Semi never knew where he stood with the band.

But Akaashi was the best lyricist in the band besides Semi, so he must have cared a little bit.

The five of them all stumbled out of the bus forty-five minutes later, fifteen minutes to spare with getting to the location of the press conference. It was no doubt about their new album but they would’ve like the heads up that this was happening.

(None of the remembered that Asahi had, in fact, told them about this weeks ago. They all chose not to listen.)

Getting Miya out of the bus was the biggest struggle, as he was passed out hungover with hickies all over his neck. Kuroo scolded him, saying something about the dude Miya had back at home but the blonde only brushed it off. Semi knew it was fruitless trying to get Miya to be a better person, he just wished Kuroo would recognize this and stop trying to stage interventions once a week. Miya would hit rock bottom by himself and would come to his own senses.

The press conference wasn’t torturous like some had been. There were tons of fans there and Semi’s hand hurt after signing a bunch of CDs and posters. He kept a smile on his face the entire time though, since this was the most important part of his life. He didn’t want to ruin somebody’s day by being the role model who turned out to be an asshole. Those stories were always the most heartbreaking. Semi vowed that none of them would ever be rude to a fan no matter how tired or miserable they were that day. Even Miya lived by this.

By the time they got to their actual meet and greet for their tour, they were all exhausted. Semi wore sunglasses to hide his tired eyes and kept the smile plastered on his face. Another hour passed and he was ready to collapse, sound check be damned. Suga wasn’t even on his mind, not for a second, until right before the show started.

Their opener was getting ready, doing their pre-show ritual of huddling together and Semi wished them luck as one by one they ran onto the stage holding their instruments. All was quiet and then the eruption of sound from the amps and the crowd filled Semi’s ears. It was beautiful, and magical, and everything Semi had ever dreamed of. And he wasn’t even the one on stage yet.

Semi began his own pre-show ritual, going over the lyrics in his head, playing an air guitar and fingering nonexistent frets. It helped him prepare even though he knew each song by heart. There was always room for a slip up.

Semi closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly drawing into his zone.

Until his concentration was broken.

“Asahi-san!” A boisterous voice shouted to Semi’s left. His eyes shot open and all their heads turned to see a man with spiked hair and bright brown eyes waving around a backstage pass. Despite being held back by four security guards he had the biggest grin on his face.

Semi slowly moved his gaze over to Asahi who had blanched, looking horrified at whoever this stranger was. The manager gained his composure and hastily shuffled over to the man who had called his name, talking softly to the security guards. Hesitantly the guards parted and Asahi was jumped by the man, short arms and legs wrapped around him tightly. Asahi was bright red and extremely embarrassed. 

“Oh my god.” Kuroo whispered next to Semi. Semi hadn’t known Kuroo was beside him and jumped a bit. 

Asahi was still whispering to the man and finally the small of the two’s feet were back on the ground. He disappeared around the corner and Kuroo took his chance to taunt their friend.

“Please tell me you’re not dating that fireball.”

Asahi’s lips wobbled, flushing an even darker shade of red all the way down to his shirt collar. Kuroo and Miya burst out laughing while the rest of them cracked smiles. It was ridiculous; those two had the complete opposite personalities and yet…

“This is gold.” Miya wheezed, hanging on to Kuroo’s shoulder.

“Asahi-san! I brought some friends!” Asahi’s boyfriend called as he dragged two taller guys into the backstage area behind him. Semi blinked when he realized that he recognized the two of them.

Freckles, from the bakery. And Suga. Suga with the beautiful smile and the mole under his left eye. Suga was not Asahi’s boyfriend, just the cashier (and owner) from Late Nite Snack. Semi breathed a sigh of relief and felt immediately guilty about it. Why was he so jealous and concerned? He had known Suga for only three minutes after all.

“Not as exciting being behind all of it,” Suga teased and nudged Asahi, not even sparing a glance in the band’s direction. Freckles was openly gaping at them, however, and standing a little behind Suga as if he were afraid to interact with them.

Asahi rubbed his stomach where Suga had elbowed him and looked a bit sheepish. “It’s exciting being behind here too. Noya, you can’t shout…”

Noya, presumably Asahi’s boyfriend, only laughed. “Sorry, sorry! I’m just so excited to see you!” He wrapped his arms tight around the taller, burly man and Asahi blushed, clear as day even with the dim lighting of the backstage area.

Kuroo and Miya cleared their throats as they stepped forward, looking eager to meet Asahi’s boyfriend and his guest. “Not going to introduce is, Azumane? That’s cruel.” Miya winked at him.

Asahi stared at them with an open mouth for a moment before swallowing around air. “This is my boyfriend, Nishinoya, and our friends, Suga and Yamaguchi.”

Nishinoya grinned and gave a boisterous greeting, beginning to go on a tirade about how he was a big fan of their music and how he was so excited when Asahi said that he could get them backstage passes for a minimal price. Asahi had definitely had to pull some strings but it was clear that he would do anything to make his boyfriend happy.

Suga and Yamaguchi greeted every one with levels of timidness and joy. Semi kept his eyes on Suga, hoping that the baker would look at him. Oh how he was desperate for just one glance in his direction. Suga was keeping it casual though and it was obvious that he saw nothing more in their meeting the night before than a simple exchange between a cashier and customer. Semi knew it was too good to be true. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up from a  _ three minute conversation _ . 

The trio wandered over to the side of the stage with Asahi in tow, watching the band currently performing. Suga was nodding his head to the beat of the song and Semi watched him from behind. A piece of hair stuck up from the center of Suga’s scalp and bobbed with him to the beat. It was adorable. Semi wanted to take it between his fingers and give it a little tug, just to be playful. He was positive that it would be soft to touch.

“You’re being creepy.” Akaashi snuck up behind him to murmur in his ear and Semi jumped, glaring at the keyboardist. Akaashi wore a smug smirk on his face and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Don’t you have something better to do?” Semi grit out.

Akaashi shrugged. “I can’t exactly play an air keyboard so no, I don’t.”

Semi sighed and looked away. From the corner of his eye he could still see Suga, now laughing at something Yamaguchi had said to him. Semi wanted to be the one to make him laugh. And smile. He wanted to be able to make Suga do a lot of things.

“You could just talk to him. Like a normal person.” Akaashi suggested as he scrolled through his phone, one hand in his pocket. 

Semi felt a sudden flash of anger and turned towards Akaashi, snapping, “You could talk to your boyfriend as if he were an actual human being but you don’t do that now, do you?”

Akaashi’s eyes lifted from his screen, clearly surprised. His jaw snapped shut and gray eyes grew stormy, narrowed in a glare. He turned from Semi, stalking deeper backstage, probably until they were actually going on to play. Semi would be paying for that one later.

He had bigger things to worry about now.

The tour was only their opening band and them, not big at all. The opener was wrapping up their last song, an upbeat one that got the crowd jumping up and down. Semi moved closer to the side so he could see the sea of phone screens lighting up the crowd and the sound of voices shouting the lyrics. The beat thrummed in his heart and the soles of his shoes and he couldn’t wait for that to be him. His heart was already racing with anticipation, ready to get on the stage and perform. It was the one place where he felt truly at home, where he felt like it was him on top of the world. What a feeling. 

The band thanked the crowd and then slowly exited the stage, waving and jumping around. Semi and his bandmates high fived them as they came off the stage, congratulating them on another great show. The crew was immediately on the stage taking all the other band’s props away and filling in the space with October Enigma’s logo-enblazened equipment. There was a low murmur in the crowd as they waited between sets.

“Alright, are we ready kids?!” Kuroo exclaimed with a grin. He was twirling a stick between his fingers, the other tucked into the back of his pants. He had foregone the shirt tonight, wanting to avoid wringing the sweat out of the material that night. They were all grateful.

“Ay, aye captain.” Miya snickered and Iwaizumi ruffled his hair playfully.

The five of them formed a circle and put their hands in a circle, repeating after Kuroo: “We're like the blood in our veins. We must flow without stopping. Keep the oxygen moving and your mind working. Wooo!!”

They threw their hands in the air and took a couple of deep breaths. It was always anxiety inducing no matter how much they all enjoyed it.

Each member went out separately, letting the crowd hype them up, listening to the screams. They all had big grins on their faces as they were validated by the hollers from the crowd. Semi was always last out onto the stage and when he was about to dash out, adjusting his guitar strap on his shoulder, he felt a delicate tap on the shoulder.

Semi spun to face Suga and that dazzling smile. The baker had thrown him a thumbs up. “Good luck!”

Semi blinked and opened his mouth to respond but he caught glimpse of Asahi behind Suga, motioning violently towards the stage. Semi only had time to nod and give a tiny smile in return before running onto the stage, stopping in front of the center mic. He was silent for a moment, only a smile on his face as looked out into the screaming crowd.

Then he opened his mouth and started singing, fingers moving over the frets and the band playing beside him and behind him. He sang until he thought his voice would go raw but it didn’t, thankfully. He sang and played his heart out, pouring every single feeling he had ever felt into his lyrics. Semi would be lying if he said he wasn’t playing it up a little bit for Suga, but what was a man to do when he had it as bad as Semi? And after only two brief exchanges. 

They played for an hour and a half, like they usually did, hyping up the crowd with their antics. Semi liked to tease his bandmates and Iwaizumi and Miya always teased right back. Semi figured if Kuroo had a mic by his drum set then he would caught up in it all too. Akaashi was quiet at the keys, mostly because he was still fuming over Semi’s comment, but it was rare for him to speak during the show anyway.

By the end of it all, Semi was drenched in sweat and out of breath in the best way. As they dragged their feet off stage, wanting nothing more than to collapse, Semi wanted nothing more than to go back out there and sing some more.

Semi took a water bottle from some unknown hand and chugged half of it, dropping down into a chair. Eyelids fluttering shut, he lost himself in the experience from moments before. He heard the crowd belting his lyrics as he did the same. Nothing was more beautiful than when he stopped singing and they continued on without him. The first time it had happened Semi turned his back towards the crowd and willed himself not to cry. 

He had, had a lot of similar moments since then. 

“You guys were amazing!” A saccharine sweet voice exclaimed above him and Semi’s eyes shot open to meet Suga’s once more. “I’ve never been to a concert before but this was definitely the most amazing first concert experience.”

“You’ve never been to a concert before?” Semi asked, the only thing he could think to come out his mouth. His voice was a little raspy and he drank more water to avoid saying something stupid.

Suga shook his head, eyes sparkling. “Nope! But I definitely want to go to more. And be in the crowd next time. At one of your shows. It looked so… fun.” Suga sat down next to him. 

Semi gaped at him. He really didn’t know what to say. He bit his tongue, not wanting to mess things up. The cutest person on the planet was sitting next to him at the moment, he couldn’t fuck it up.

“I’m glad you liked it.” Semi said lamely.

Suga grinned, eyes crinkling with how wide it was. “Do you have a curfew tonight, Semi-san?”

Semi blinked. “What?”

“Do you want to go on a walk with me?”

“A… a walk?”

“You know, you put one foot in front of the other and you gradually keep doing that. Sometimes there’s a purpose, sometimes people walk just to walk, or get to know somebody.”

So, Suga was cheeky. Semi clicked his tongue and pulled his phone out of his pocket, checking the time. They wouldn’t depart until after midnight, when everything was packed back up in the vans. It was barely eleven, so he had an hour. He knew the bus would leave without him if he didn’t get back on time, but that was a risk he was willing to take.

“I’d like that.” 

Suga jumped to his feet and offered his hands, Semi slipping his sweaty ones in between Suga’s fingers. Suga didn’t mind and pulled him up by tired limbs, helping him steady himself.

“I’ll be back.” Semi whispered to Asahi, who was so caught up in his boyfriend that he didn’t even notice. Kuroo and Iwaizumi, however, did notice and the former promptly shouted: “ _ GET IT, SEMI! _ ”

Semi would have been embarrassed if Suga hadn’t laughed, and he was too focused on that sweet sound to be annoyed with his friend. Right now he only had one goal in mind and that was making Suga his, getting to learn everything about him in a short walk.

That was, if Semi didn’t choke on his own tongue.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to go up like 2 weeks ago, sorry for the delay! School sucks... Enjoy the very last chapter! :)

Semi felt as if he were going to die. He was sweating profusely even though it was cool outside. He tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other like Suga had teasingly said but he still felt like he was walking awkwardly. He probably looked so strange. Why had Suga wanted to go on a walk with him again? Semi wasn’t cool. He didn’t deserve the company of somebody so sweet.

“You can relax, you know. I won’t bite.” Suga said to his left and Semi about jumped out of his skin. Semi glanced at him and then retreated his gaze back to the ground, unsure of what to say. He ended up smiling sheepishly at his sneakers, not even at Suga.

A mellifluous laugh sounded. “You know, I thought you were this cool and mysterious guy but you’re just shy. You have such a stage presence, especially with the goth look you’re going for.” He motioned to Semi’s ripped, black skinny jeans and the black v-neck he was currently wearing. They generally all dressed in dark clothing, or in Kuroo’s case dark pants. It was rare for Kuroo to play with a shirt on because it got in his way half the time. Or it would be soaked in sweat from the constant movement of his body. Sometimes it was a struggle wearing darker colors because of the bright lights that went along with their stage setup.

Semi was still speechless. He wasn’t shy, he just didn’t know what to say to the person he had been thinking about for twenty-four hours now. And they were alone. Under the stars. With nothing to talk about.

“Nobody’s ever called me cool before.”

Great.

Now he’s going to get a pity party from Suga.

Instead, Suga laughed again. “You clearly don’t pay attention to your online presence, Semi Eita. A lot of your fans say a lot more about you than the fact that you’re cool.”

Semi blinked at him. He never bothered reading the comments on his posts or his rare tweets. It wasn’t something he particularly cared about but Asahi encouraged them to have a social media presence because it would be good for promo and getting their faces out there. Semi did it to appease him and the record label but otherwise he paid no attention.

“Well, what are they saying?”

Suga snorted. “I think you would explode if I told you. Let’s start with baby steps. How did you get into music?”

Semi shoved his hands into his pockets. “You consider that baby steps? That’s quite a story.”

“You can share whatever you’re comfortable with. But you and your bandmates always seem so different from the interviews I’ve seen, and I’ve always been confused as to how you got together.”

“You’ve watched interviews of me?”

His palms began to perspire at the thought of Suga sitting in bed or at a desk watching interviews with him and the guys. The thought was… strange. This whole situation was probably weird for Suga as well; the person in those interviews was standing right in front of him making a complete fool of himself.

Suga grinned. “I have! I’m quite the fan of you guys…” His voice trailed off and Suga looked a bit timid himself. “Your music has helped me a lot. And when Nishinoya said he had backstage passes because his boyfriend was the _manager_ I almost didn’t want to believe it. _And then_ you came into my bakery and I thought I was going to die.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “And here we are.”

“Here we are…”

Semi felt like he really was in some shitty romance novel. He burrowed his hands deeper into his pockets. “I got into music when I was younger. My dad bought me my first guitar when I was ten. He wanted to give me something to do with my time and thought music could be a hobby. He didn’t think it would be something I would do for the rest of my life. He wanted me to be a lawyer or doctor, not some washed up rockstar.”

“Well it’s good you’re far from washed up.” Suga said softly. Semi knew he was oversharing. He was definitely oversharing. But he couldn’t help it. Whenever he was around somebody that he was fond of he would blurt out whatever was on his mind, no matter how personal it was. It was what he did with his past boyfriends. So far it hadn’t deterred anybody from being in a relationship with him.

“I know. 1’m proud of everything we’ve made together. We all met in college…” Semi launched into his story about how the five of them met, though he knew for sure it was probably in an interview somewhere. Semi liked to ramble though and Suga was good at listening. Suga was hanging onto every word, perhaps as a fan or perhaps as somebody who actually cared what Semi was saying.

“We all had an apartment together for about three months. It was a disaster.”

Suga giggled. “Oh, I can imagine.”

“You wouldn’t think it, but Kuroo is the biggest fucking baby on the planet. And a slob. Not as bad as Atsumu but he’s still pretty bad.”

Suga grinned. “Sure you should be giving me this insider information?”

Semi shrugged. “It’s not a secret, plus I don’t care if you spread this on the internet. Kuroo would run with it, the ass.”

Suga laughed again and Semi wanted to watch him laugh for the rest of his life. Suga had the type of laugh that was infectious and Semi felt the corners of his lips tilting upwards. Suga laughed with his entire body, shoulders shaking and his hands wrapping around his sides. He laughed this hard each time and Semi couldn’t get over how adorable it was. They had probably only been walking for twenty minutes and only had one conversation but he was really falling for this guy.

Semi needed to get over himself. Would they even see each other again after this?

He didn’t want to think about that.

“You talk poorly of one of your best friends.”

“Isn’t that what best friends do?”

“Hmm, I guess your right. I do rag on my best friend all the time. But only because he cares more about his boyfriend than me.”

Semi smiled softly as he watched Suga pout, lips pushing out cutely. His brows pinched together as well. Fucking adorable.

“I’m sure that’s not true.”

Suga sighed. “Yeah, probably not. At least Yamaguchi and Noya still love me.”

Semi nodded. He wasn’t sure what to say to that. The two of them walked a bit farther in complete silence, Semi beginning to hum to himself from habit. He forgot for a moment that he was alone, completely comfortable with Suga beside him. Suga was smiling to himself as they walked.

“Even your humming is lovely. I think you’re quite perfect, Semi Eita.”

Semi couldn’t help it.

He scoffed.

“I am far from perfect. You on the other hand-” Semi was going to continue but clamped his mouth shut, hoping that the darkness of the night would hide his blush. He was positive that nothing could hide it though; he felt incredibly warm.

Suga grinned mischievously and his eyebrows rose almost to his hairline. “What was that?”

“Nothing.” Semi was quick to deflect. He was really about to call a guy he barely knew perfect. It was no secret that Semi didn’t know how to flirt, especially not with somebody as attractive as Suga, but what he was about to do was exponentially wrong. He should not have opened his mouth and said anything. It was wrong. He hated his loose tongue.

“Hm, didn’t sound like nothing,” Suga sang.

“Uh… Uh…. what made you want to bake?” Semi grasped at something to talk about and Suga laughed, winking at him before taking the bait.

“Well, in college funny enough I was studying law and it was just… really awful and terrible so I would stress bake almost every night. But I couldn’t eat it all myself so I would pawn it off on my friends who pretty much said my food was like porn for the mouth. They told me I should sell them so I went against uni policy and I set up shop. Almost got arrested but I was able to bribe the cops… I probably sound like a delinquent but I promise I’m sweet.”

Semi snickered. “Sweet and sour.”

“Exactly!” Suga thought for a moment. “Though I’m not sure sour is a compliment, but I’ll let that one slide. But I kept baking and I liked it a lot more than law so I transferred to a culinary school. And the rest is history.”

“Your pastries were really good the other night.”

“I would hope so, I’ve had time to get them just right.”

“Why did you want your bakery to only be open at obscure hours?”

Suga chuckled. “It wasn’t always like that. But we’re situated near the university and you wouldn’t believe how many college kids come in through the four hours. I make a small fortune.” He winked again and caramel eyes sparkled under the dim lights of the street lamps. “I work at another bakery sometimes during the day but Late Nite Snack is all mine.”

“That’s pretty remarkable.”

“You think so?” The softest smile appeared on Suga’s lips and Semi bit his lip. He was in so, so deep just from one conversation. Semi opened his mouth to respond but no words came out. His tongue felt dry. Suga had been smiling the entire time but now Semi was tongue tied.

“Y-Yeah…” Semi nodded and looked at his phone. There was a bunch of messages from Kuroo and Iwaizumi asking where he went. Iwaizumi sounded concerned and Kuroo was just obnoxious about it. As usual. Semi didn’t expect anything less from him.

“Do you have to get back soon?” Suga asked, disappointment evident in his voice. Semi wished he didn’t have to go so soon but they had walked pretty far and by the time he got back they would be packed up ready to go.

Semi nodded and Suga sighed loudly. “That’s fine. I guess it’s not easy being a rockstar.”

“Well since you already know so much about me you should know.” Semi couldn’t help himself with teasing Suga a bit. It was clear that it wasn’t expected and Suga giggled, shaking his head.

“I think I’d love to know a lot more about you.”

This was a bit shyer than his other statements. Suga was somebody, from the short time Semi had spoken to him, who spoke with a general confidence. The only other time Suga had trailed off was when he was confessing being a fan of the band. Semi figured he was a bit nervous in letting his guard down about a few things.

“Can I trust you?” Semi asked after they had turned to head back.

Suga perked up. “Of course!”

Semi unlocked his phone and pulled up the new contact page, handing it over to Suga. “As long as you promise to not give my number out, put yours in.”

The baker looked as if he had been handed the holy grail as he took Semi’s phone, slowly punching in his number. When he handed Semi his phone back, their fingers brushed and Semi could have sworn he felt sparks. He really was turning into a walking cliche, just like his lyrics.

People liked cliches, right?

Semi typed out a quick message to Suga so that Suga had his number before pocketing the phone. “You can text me any time… I, uh, would love to know more about you too.”

Suga was gaping at him in disbelief, as if all of his dreams had just come true. Maybe they had. Semi really wanted to kiss him right now but was worried Suga may imploded. That was something he definitely did not want.

It was also way too soon for that. Semi wasn’t going to push his luck.

Suga didn’t say anything for the rest of their walk. When they got back to the venue and to the tour buses, Semi knew it would be time to say goodbye. Nishinoya and Yamaguchi were hanging around but looked like they were ready to leave as the two walked onto the bus.

“Finally! We thought you died!” Kuroo exclaimed, rushing over to Semi and taking him by the shoulders. “You can’t just disappear like that!”

Semi narrowed his eyes. “Just because I leave for forty-five minutes doesn’t mean I’m dead. Don’t you have a boyfriend to call anyway?”

Kuroo frowned. “Kenma wouldn’t answered. I think he’s dead too!”

“He just needs a break from your stupidity.” Iwaizumi said from the couch.

“Hey!”

Semi rolled his eyes and turned to Suga, who was watching them with muted amusement in his eyes. “I’ll talk to you soon?”

Suga nodded and smiled a little. “Thanks for walking with me.”

“I’m glad you asked.”

The goodbye was awkward, Semi unsure if he could hug Suga or not. He settled for a pathetic wave and longing look watching Suga descend the steps. He wanted to be able to talk to Suga all night, not just for an hour. But he had his number now. He could text him whenever he wanted.

And he did.

Semi was practically attached to his phone when he wasn’t with the band. Suga was surprisingly easy to talk to and the conversation flowed easily between them, whether it be something serious or something fun. Semi felt like he gained a new best friend but he didn’t want a best friend. He wanted a lover. Semi was always searching for love and… and he really felt like he was in love with Suga.

 

**[Suga - 22:07]**

Top or bottom?

**[Semi - 23:34]**

???

Excuse me?

**[Suga - 23:37]**

Bunk of course

**[Semi - 23:38]**

>>

I dont trust u

**[Suga - 23:41}**

(°o°:)

Im hurt Semi

**[Semi - 23:42]**

>>

<<

Hmmm

 

It was conversations like this that made Semi smile dumbly at his phone. Suga had an incredible sense of humor, somehow both innocent and sexual. Semi didn’t know how he did it. Probably years of practice.

The guys noticed his shift in mood after he started talking to Suga.

“Are you still talking to that guy?” Akaashi asked one night as they sat on the bus travelling to the next city, eating ice cream out of the carton.

Semi looked up from his phone. He had in fact been talking to Suga. He narrowed his eyes at the younger man, wondering how he knew he was talking to somebody in the first place. Akaashi hadn’t been around the night he’d come back from his walk if Semi remembered correctly.

“Why?”

Akaashi shrugged and sucked the ice cream off the spoon loudly. “You’re happier than usual. I figured it was because you weren’t lonely anymore.”

Semi pursed his lips. He wouldn’t say he was lonely…. But, yeah, that’s exactly what he had been. And even though Suga wasn’t beside him, he had alleviated that. Semi couldn’t wait to see him in person again. They only had three more shows left and though Semi was looking forward to them, the shows were the highlight of his day after all, he couldn’t wait to get home. He wanted to lay in his own bed instead of the cramped bunk of the bus but more importantly, he wanted to see Suga.

And if he had to take a thirty minute train ride to see him, he would.

Their last three shows were some of their best. Kuroo convinced Semi to wear eyeliner and the selfie he posted online was his most liked and retweeted photo in his social media history. Kuroo gave him a grin and a thumbs up but Semi was more embarrassed than anything else. Especially when Suga sent him the picture with a bunch of heart eyes. He didn’t know what Suga’s social media handles were but he wanted to block him immediately to save the embarrassment. Suga had probably saved every single picture of him that he had ever posted. And Semi hated that.

The very last show Semi got a bit choked up, as this was their first arena tour and they ended it in the town he grew up in, Sendai. Though he didn’t currently live there, his friends and family were still here, mostly. Some of them were backstage, listening to their set. Semi felt that this was the best and most important show.

“Thank you!” Semi yelled into the note after he had sang the last lyrics, strummed the last note. “We… We are October’s Enigma, thank you so much for making this show kickass!” Semi grinned, a little misty eyed. He threw his guitar pick into the crowd and jogged off the stage behind Akaashi. He clapped the keyboardist on the back as he passed him, feeling a soft squeeze of his shoulder as he did. Akaashi knew how much this one meant to him, they all did.

The rest of them left him alone as he wandered outside to the back of the venue, looking up at the sky. He was overwhelmed with emotion. The show had been sold out and there were hundreds of people there singing his lyrics, dancing in the back, having a good time in the back. These people were there to see him and his friends who had started a band in college, not expecting the reaction and publicity they would get.

Semi crouched down and wrapped his arms around his knees, taking a few deep breaths. He took everything in before taking his phone out of his pocket, pulling up Suga’s contact. Their last conversation had been about what animals they thought the other looked like. Suga had told Semi he looked like a cute weasel or ferret, which Semi negated because he didn’t want to look like a rodent. Suga insisted they were cute and had then spammed him with tons of pictures that seemed to materialize out of thin air.

Semi had wanted to be mean right back, but settled for telling Suga he looked like a soft bunny rabbit. Semi wasn’t much of a flirt.

 

**[Semi - 23:07]**

Wow.

**[Suga - 23:07]**

???

**[Semi - 23:09]**

The show was amazing. I am… blown away

**[Suga - 23:12]**

(＾▽＾)

It’s what you guys deserve!

You all work so hard, I’m happy the show was great

**[Semi - 23:13]**

I can’t even describe it…

**[Suga - 23:19]**

Does that mean you guys are coming home soon?

**[Semi - 23:22]**

Yeah, we come home tomorrow

**[Suga - 23:27]**

I want to see you.

 

Sem stared at the message for a long time. He hadn’t expected Suga to want to see him just as much as he wanted to see Suga. Semi was yearning for him. Their text conversations weren’t enough for him. He wanted to see him in person. Maybe take him on a date, if Suga agreed. Semi knew he was feeling way too much way too soon but talking to Suga everyday had felt right and he wanted more. He wanted to drink him all up even if he wasn’t satisfied with just that.

Semi’s thumbs hovered over the keyboard about to type out a message but Kuroo called him back him, talking about loading in the trucks. With a sigh, Semi pocketed his phone before he could respond and hoped that Suga wasn’t mad.

It took about an hour to load everything up into the bus. Semi and his band said goodbye to the other band, as they were going in the opposite direction. Semi almost cried again and he couldn’t remember a time in which he was as emotional he was right now. With one last hug to their singer, the five of them plus Asahi clambered onto the bus to shower and get ready to turn in. even Miya was too exhausted to have a drink. They all collapsed onto the couches in the front and back of the bus, civilly taking turns in the shower. Semi was sure that he had passed out half on top of Iwaizumi for some time.

Before turning in to bed, Semi remembered that he hadn’t responded to Suga. With his last waking moments he typed out the message:

 

**[Semi 01:54]**

See you soon.

 

Their trip home took all night and most of the morning. Semi slept through most of it and when they pulled into the bus depot he was only half away. They all grabbed their suitcases and instruments if they had them, trudging off the bus and in the direction of the train. They all were well disguised though it probably looked a bit strange, all of them in hoard with instrument cases. Miya had at least caught a cab, as he lived the closest. The rest of them were only a few stops off.

The train was mostly empty at this time of day, surprisingly, and they were all able to take a seat.

“What a great tour.” Kuroo mumbled behind his mask and Semi nodded, tucking his guitar case more tightly between his feet.

“One for the books.” Iwaizumi said, arms stretching above him. Akaashi nodded a bit solemnly. Whether he was solemn about the tour ending or returning home Semi wouldn’t know. The four of them were quiet after that, not having much to say. One by one they all got off, Semi being the second to last to leave. He waved goodbye to Iwaizumi and slowly trekked down a few blocks from the train. The only thing on his mind was that night, where he would be making an appearance at Late Nite Snack even if it killed him.

Semi unlocked his apartment and set his things down, bending down when his cat Noodles came to wind between his legs and rub against him. Semi had missed the furry creature and was glad that Tendou had been taking good care of him while he was gone.

“You miss me?” Semi scooped Noodles up and dropped his full weight onto the couch, letting Noodles curl up in his nap. The two of them had time to kill and Semi sat in front of the TV, watching whatever came up. It was nice to do nothing for a change. It also felt strange, but he deserved this.

The sun went down and at eleven that night Semi left his apartment again. He was clad in a heavy black sweatshirt, ripped skinny jeans and a low cut purple shirt. He hoped it was enough to impress Suga. If Suga liked his selfies then Semi would hope he liked the real thing.

Suga had responded to his text earlier that morning with a bunch of exclamations and question marks but Semi hadn’t said a word. He wanted it to be a surprise. Though it wasn’t much of a surprise if he had told Suga he would see him soon. The sentiment was there at least.

The train ride was long and uneventful, and thankfully empty. There was one other man in his train car and he was asleep. Semi hoped that he didn’t miss his stop.

Making sure that Semi had the right address, he glanced one more time at the sleeping fellow before he himself got off the train. Shivering a little he wrapped his jacket around himself tighter and shoved his hands into his pockets. It was about a ten minute walk to the bakery and by then it would be open and Suga would be there.

At least Semi hoped Suga would be there.

He wasn’t positive that Suga was working that night. He was willing to take the chance.

He could see the crowd before he got to the doors. He was down the road and he saw hoards of people making their way into one shop. Putting his mask into place and tucking his hair into a hat he had brought with him, he hoped it sufficed as a disguise until he was in front of Suga. The door chimed as he stepped in and the smell of coffee wafted towards Semi, hitting him like a freight train. His stomach growled and he could almost taste the vanilla scones he had had the other day.

Semi waited patiently on line, keeping his chin tucked into his chest as he scrolled through his phone. Kuroo had already posted a photo of him back home and surrounded by all three of his cats, Kenma included. The top of Kenma’s head was the only thing visible in the picture, dark roots merging into dyed blonde hair. Kuroo was flashing a bright smile towards the camera, the happiest he had ever been surrounded by the ones he loved most.

Semi wanted that.

He was about to get that, hopefully.

As he stepped up to the counter and in front of Suga, he saw recognition wash over the ash blonde as Semi pulled the mask down to tuck it under his chin.

“A black coffee and a vanilla scone, please.” He ordered politely and Suga gaped at him before his lips split into a smile that could rival the sun, scrambling to write down Semi’s order. Suga read his total and Semi paid, winking at him as he slid his mask on. Suga flushed, something Semi hadn’t known was possible.

When his order was ready he grabbed it off the counter from Yamaguchi’s waiting hands and took a seat at the empty table near the window. He waited an hour before Suga could take a break, enjoying his coffee and scone and exhausting the social media apps and news outlets.

He startled when Suga slid across from him with a shy smile.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Semi was breathless. His mask was back in place so his voice came out a little muffled. He didn’t want to risk get noticed and be bombarded by college girls.

“Do you wanna take a walk? A short one this time, I only have off for another fifteen minutes.”

“I’d love to.”

The two of them stood and Semi threw his things in the garbage on the way out. His heart was hammering in his chest and he didn’t feel as nervous as he did the first time. This was Suga. Suga who he had grown accustomed to in the past couple of weeks.

They walked in silence for a little bit, the only sound between them being their breathing and the sound of their feet on the pavement. Semi didn’t mind; he wasn’t sure what to say. Even though he wasn’t nervous he was still speechless.

“I’m shocked that you came all the way here.”

Suga sounded as breathless as Semi felt.

“I wanted to see you too. So I came.”

Suga giggled shyly and looked at him. The way his eyes shone under the lamplights made Semi’s heart skip a beat. He had really fallen for this guy. Semi’s fingers nudged Suga’s and Suga let him take them, squeezing them gently.

“Okay?”

“Okay…”

They turned the corner. They were only walking around the block, as Suga did have to go back soon. Something told Semi that Yamaguchi wouldn’t mind if Suga was a little late. He decided to take his chance.

“You know, you’re cute at night but I’d really like to see you during the day.”

Suga stopped walking for a split second before taking a large step to keep up. “Is that how rockstars ask somebody out?”

Semi grinned a little crooked. “No. We usually just kiss the other person.”

This time Suga did stop and tugged Semi back. “So why don’t you?”

Semi’s whole being paused in that moment and he licked his lips before lifting his free hand to touch Suga’s cheek. His skin was soft, just like Semi had thought it would be. Then he leaned forward and captured Suga’s lips with his own, feeling the smile beneath them. The fingers tangle with his own tightened as their lips moved against each other slowly under a broken lamp. Suga tasted like the coffee Semi had just had and he wanted to drink the baker in, pressing closer. He couldn’t get enough of him, hand sliding to the back of Suga’s neck.

They pulled away before it could go any further, though their foreheads touched and Suga panted gently.

“You’re not cool like you exude, Semi Eita.”

Semi laughed a little, “Nobody’s ever said I was cool before.”

Suga threw his head back and laughed into the night. It was the sweetest sound. Semi wanted to bottle it up for later. There was a later for them though, and Semi would be able to hear this again and again.

“So, can I take you out?”

Suga smirked and kissed him quickly again. “I suppose. As long as you make it worth my while.”

“I’d do anything for you, Sugawara Koushi.”

They shared another kiss. And another. So many kisses until their fifteen minutes were definitely up.

It was definitely better than the three that had started all of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I love these two so much and I wanna write little side stories for them lmao. But as I said in the beginning the series will continue with the other four ships: KuroKen, BokuAka, IwaOi, and MiyaTeru, somewhat in that order... I'm thinking the BokuAka bc it's very angsty ;) until next time!
> 
> Follow me on [Tumblr](http://novocaine-sea.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/novocaine_sea)!!!

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](http://novocaine-sea.tumblr.com/) || [Twitter](https://twitter.com/novocaine_sea)


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